Wiggs Life: Vatican

Sunday, January 1, 2006

Addio 2005! Ciao 2006! {Day 3}

JANUARY 1, 2006

Since we went to sleep early, we were up before the crowds were aware the sun has risen! Our hotel "Our Lady Maria of the Conception of the Capuchins" that was commissioned in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII for his brother Antonio Barberini was was a Capuchin friar.
was right off the Piazza Barberini, so we found a church that was tucked away on Via Vittorio Veneto called the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccino, which translates to

Here's the kicker, this church is the home of a very unique crypt under it's floors. In 1631, the remains of thousands of capuchin monks were exhumes and transferred from the friary Via dei Lucchesi to the crypt and arranged along the walls. After which the monks also began to bury their own dead here as well as the bodies of poor Romans. This would be where the monks would come to pray each night. There are remains of about 4000 friars here and it's divided into five chapels lit only natural night seeping into small cracks and fluorescent lamps. They are very elaborate and some are draped in Franciscan habits. There is a plaque in one of the chapels that reads:

"What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be." Few photos are needed to see what I mean.

From there, we passed back through Piazza Barberini. Just so happened to have a quite large menorah in the middle. Super excited to see such inclusion! How about a festival pole next year!!!???

Headed down the street to see Trevi Fountain again. It was pretty empty except for the thousands of wine corks floating around in the water.

From there to il Vittoriano, The National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II..

Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Circus Maximus

Mamertine Prison

Final stop of the day was Saint Peters Basilica in Vatican City

January 2, 2006
Early to rise again, it was a little overcast. Headed out to Campo di Fiori to the open flower markets.

Final stop before heading back to Sardinia was the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

I can't believe I get to live here!

Friday, November 25, 2005

Rome for the First Time

I had the opportunity to visit Rome, even though it was only for a day, with my friend, and I jumped at the chance. I had only been in Italy about 4 months and this was my first real trip. We got to the DaVinci Airport in Fuimicino, took the train to Rome and arrived at the Roma Termini Station and began the long walk down Via Giovanni Giolitti about a mile to Viale Manzoni until we got to our little place, Hotel Luzzatti. It was a lot further than we had realized from the map. We'll know better next time we plan a trip.

We began our walk that ended up being about a mile and a half down Via
Labicana. You never forget the first time you walk about the corner and see the hint of the top of the ruins of the Colosseum. 1900 years ago this was being built. It's hard to imagine.

We went inside and walked around... weird feeling being in the place that you know someone once walked almost two thousand years ago.

We left the Colosseum and headed over to the Forum and into the ruins of Palatine Hill.

Left the Forum and headed up the ramp into the back corner of the Piazza del Campidoglio.

Headed down the stairs to the the Via del Teatro di Marcello and made it to the front of the Monument dedicated to the memory of unified Italy's first King.

A quick stop at the Trevi Fountain.. It was raining too hard to get a good picture, but we tried. Needless to say, the rain forced me to purchase a new hat to keep the rain out of my eyes. I found this fancy black one that is reminiscent of a chauffeur's hat at a street vendor for 6 Euros. What a deal!

Made some time for lunch and it finally stopped raining! Made it back towards the colosseum and stopped to view the ruins of Trajan's Market.

We started walking toward the Tiber and got to Piazza Argentina. There is a lower cropping of ruins there that is called the Area Sacra. There are four temples there that date back to about 400 bce.